The Council, at its 3199th foreign affairs meeting yesterday in Brussels, adopted the following conclusions on the Republic of Moldova – Action Plan on Visa Liberation. Concretely the Council “reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to the shared objective of visa-free travel for the citizens of the Republic of Moldova in due courseprovided that the conditions for well-managed and secure mobility as set out in the Action Plan on Visa Liberalisation are in place”.
In January 2011 an Action Plan on Visa Liberalisation was introduced to the authorities of the Republic of Moldova. In September 2011 and in February of the same year, the Commission presented to the Council two reports on its implementation. A third report was submitted in 22 June 2012. Furthermore, the Commission drafted another report “on possible migratory and security impacts on the European Union of future visa liberalisation for the Republic of Moldova”. The report underlines the impacts of the implementation of the Action Plan on Visa Liberalisation. Specifically, it addresses the integration of minorities, the tackling of illegal migration and the fight against trafficking in human beings.
The Council welcomed these reports and shared Commission’s analysis that the Republic of Moldova has implemented all the measures of the Action Plan on Visa Liberalisation. Moldova as it seems passed the first phase of its assignment. Commissioner Malmström, welcomed Council’s conclusion. “The Council has concurred with the assessment of the Commission that the Republic of Moldova has fulfilled all the benchmarks of the first phase. I welcome once again the important work done by the authorities of the Republic of Moldova in the implementation of the Action Plan”.
But more need to be done. The Council invited the Commission to help Moldova in implementing the benchmarks of the second phase, as well to continue reporting on Moldova’s progress.